Loan
Provincial
Active
Investissement Québec ESSOR — Volet 2 : Chantier Productivité
Investissement Québec (MEIE program — Cadre normatif ESSOR 2025-2027, Décret 324-2025)
Loan Range
Up to $10,000,000
Ongoing until the normative framework expires March 31, 2027
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Mixed (Advance + Reimb.)
Trend
Growing
First-Timers
—
Financing share
25%
Investissement Québec ESSOR — Volet 2 : Chantier Productivité provides Up to $10,000,000 of budgetary impact per project — repayable contribution (loan, interest-free loan, participating loan, royalty-repayable loan or forgivable loan) or a loan guarantee of up to 70% of net loss; a non-repayable contribution is available in specific cases. Repayable contribution — loan, interest-free loan, participating loan, royalty-repayable loan or forgivable loan — or a loan guarantee covering up to 70% of net loss, to accelerate Quebec businesses' productivity growth through technology adoption, equipment modernization, and Industry 4.0 transitions. The program covers up to 25% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
Approval odds: ~35–50% (GrantCompass analysis)
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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Program Description
Repayable contribution — loan, interest-free loan, participating loan, royalty-repayable loan or forgivable loan — or a loan guarantee covering up to 70% of net loss, to accelerate Quebec businesses' productivity growth through technology adoption, equipment modernization, and Industry 4.0 transitions. A non-repayable contribution is also available in specific cases. Refreshed on April 1, 2025 under Décret 324-2025 with a ceiling of $10M of budgetary impact per project. Open to legally constituted for-profit companies and social economy enterprises registered in Quebec and carrying on activity there, investing at least $100K in equipment, software, cloud, AI, or building modernization. The normative framework expires March 31, 2027.
Eligibility Requirements
- Legally constituted for-profit company or social economy enterprise within the meaning of the Loi sur l'économie sociale
- Registered in Quebec (immatriculée au Québec) and carrying on an activity there — a foreign firm must be registered in Quebec and commit to operating there within 12 months of authorization
- Total project eligible expenses of at least $100,000
- At least 20% of total project cost must come from private sources (BDC, FAC and FADQ financing counts as private for stacking purposes)
- Project must demonstrate a minimum 20% increase in fixed assets OR equivalent economic impact (jobs, exports, productivity)
- Project must start within 6 months of authorization (12 months for projects over $10M or creating 100+ jobs)
- Project implementation within 5 years (3 years preferred)
- Consistent with sector priorities of the MEIE strategy
- Businesses with 25 or more Quebec employees for at least 6 months must hold an OQLF francization certificate or an attestation of registration with the OQLF (the threshold dropped from 50 to 25 employees on June 1, 2025)
- Must not be listed on the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA), under Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act or Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act protection, or state-owned or government-controlled
- Not operating in an excluded sector or a prohibited business domain (see ineligible organizations)
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Hard
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Not rated
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $10,000,000 of budgetary impact per project — repayable contribution (loan, interest-free loan, participating loan, royalty-repayable loan or forgivable loan) or a loan guarantee of up to 70% of net loss; a non-repayable contribution is available in specific cases
- Type
- Loan
- Level
- Provincial
- Financing share
- Up to 25% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing until the normative framework expires March 31, 2027
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Mar 31, 2027
Approval
Moderate
Approval Rate
~35–50%
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
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What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to secure Investissement Québec ESSOR — Volet 2 : Ch...
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- 9-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 7-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 5-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what lenders look for
$19 covers this one program. $39/mo covers every program, plus the workspace that walks you through each application.
How to qualify
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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7 steps
9 docs
Application Steps
1
Engage IQ Account Director Contact your Investissement Québec account director or call 1-844-474-6367. Describe the productivity project, the investment amount, and company financials at a high level. IQ will confirm which ESSOR Volet (1/2/3/4) fits.
Required Documents 9
✓ Business plan and investment dossier detailing the productivity project
✓ Financial statements (last 3 fiscal years) for the Quebec entity
Eligible Expenses 7
Ineligible Expenses 11
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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5 partners
Compatible Programs
SR&ED Tax Credits (federal + Quebec RS&DE)
CanExport SMEs
NGen (Next Generation Manufacturing Supercluster)
Investissement Québec — Chantier Industrie 4.0
Fondaction and Fonds de solidarité FTQ financing
Combined Funding Potential
See your total funding potential
Clawback Risk
Medium Risk
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How Investissement Québec ESSOR — Volet 2 : Ch... Compares
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| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investissement Québec ESSOR — Volet 2... | Up to $10,000,000 | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing until the... |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Applications accepted... |
| NGen AI for Manufacturing (AI4M) Chal... | Up to $3,200,000 | Hard | Reimbursement | Periodic intakes — 2025... |
| Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... | Minimum $10 million contribution | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — continuous... |
| Innovative Solutions Canada | up to $150,000 | Hard | Milestone-Based | Challenge-specific — new... |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Investissement Québec ESSOR — Volet 2 : Ch...
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Can sole proprietors apply for Volet 2?
No — the applicant must be a legally constituted for-profit company or a social economy enterprise, registered in Quebec and carrying on activity there. Sole proprietors must incorporate to qualify. There is no minimum revenue requirement.
What's the typical project size for approval?
Most approvals range $500K–$5M. IQ's own assistance is capped at 25% of eligible expenses (measured as budgetary impact) and all government assistance combined at 50% of project cost. Projects under $500K are rare; the $10M ceiling is $10M of budgetary impact and is reserved for major transformations.
Do I need to be incorporated before applying?
Yes — sole proprietors must incorporate first. The program requires a legally constituted entity registered in Quebec and carrying on an activity there (or a foreign firm registered in Quebec that commits to operating there within 12 months of authorization).
Why do applications get rejected for productivity metrics?
Weak case for 20%+ fixed-asset increase or equivalent economic impact (jobs, exports, productivity). Must show measurable pre/post metrics — not just vague claims.
Can I stack with SR&ED for R&D components?
Yes — SR&ED can claim R&D portions of the project, but ESSOR assistance reduces the SR&ED base dollar-for-dollar, and all government assistance combined is capped at 50% of project cost. Track both carefully.
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Full Playbook: Investissement Québec ESSOR — Volet 2 : Ch...
7 steps · 9 docs · reviewer insights